


Rule #4: A Helping Hand

by CreativeExplosion (WritersLife4me), WritersLife4me



Series: Kihyun's Guide to Parenting [5]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Birthday, Bread, Child Hyungwon, Family, Family Fluff, Friend Minhyuk, Friend Wonho, Gen, Party Time let's get it!, Single Dad Kihyun, Uncle Nunu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 22:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19282870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritersLife4me/pseuds/CreativeExplosion, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritersLife4me/pseuds/WritersLife4me
Summary: Kihyun throws Hyunwoo a small party.





	Rule #4: A Helping Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Here is another fic for the series. Hope you enjoy!

Friday afternoon, Kihyun sat in the passenger’s seat of Wonho’s car, exhausted. It had been a long day at work and he was ready to get back home and get started on the tasks he had to complete. He glanced over his shoulder at Wonnie seated in the backseat. His son smiled at him, waving.  He grinned and returned the gesture.

“Daddy, Uncle Nunu wants lots of balloons.” Wonnie said, kicking his legs in the back seat. “He also wants lots of presents!”

Kihyun  nodded. “ Of course, lots of balloons, cake, cookies, and presents.”

Tomorrow was Hyunwoo’s birthday, so he had a long list of things to accomplish before the day arrived. Wonho suggested they carpool to work Friday morning, so they could go to the grocery store after work. After work, they got into Wonho’s car, picked up Wonnie, and then went to the grocery. He ran his fingers through his hair as he glanced out the window. His eyes wandered back to his list. There was still so much left to do.

Several minutes passed by before they pulled into the driveway. Kihyun thanked Wonho and exited the car. He unbuckled the seatbelt, lifted his son from the backseat, and then placed him on the ground. Wonnie rushed toward the door, eager to get inside. Kihyun opened the front door and Wonnie entered ahead of him.  He walked to the kitchen holding a few bags of grocery in hand. Behind him Wonho carried more bags inside.

 

Wonho opened the fridge, placing a few unneeded items inside. “So, what is on the menu for tomorrow Chef Yoo?”

 

“All Hyunwoo’s favorites.”

 

“All of them?” Wonho asked, eyes wide. “Ki, are you sure? Hyunwoo loves food that is a lot of favorites.”

 

Kihyun shrugged his shoulders, glancing back at his list. “I’ll cook some of the things today and tomorrow. Why do you think you are here Wonho? You are going to help me.”

 

“I’m helping too daddy!” Wonnie called out, little hands grabbing for the bag on the counter.

 

“Of course,” Kihyun said. “You’ll help with the decorations tomorrow and with the cake tonight!”

 

“Cake!” Wonnie hollered, wiggling in place.

 

Kihyun snorted as he watched his son adorable dance. He was familiar with Wonnie’s new moves. His son picked up the funny dance from a trip to the aquarium a month ago. During the tour, they had learned so many things about the ocean and all the creatures. His son loved learning new things and asked so many questions. Out of all the things they learned, his son had been fascinated by the way Seaweed moved in the ocean and replicated the exact movements by moving his arms from side to side. Since that day, his son continued to perform the ‘seaweed’ dance from time to time.

 

“My favorite dance!” Wonho said, rushing to the living room to join Wonnie.

 

Wonho and Wonnie moved their arms side to side, performing the infamous seaweed dance. Wonnie giggled, moving his arms side to side as he stood in place. Kihyun’s heart swelled at the sight of the large smile on his son’s face. He was about to join them but noticed the time and decided he needed to focus on getting ready for tomorrow.

 

“Okay, let’s save the dancing for tomorrow. We have to get to work,” Kihyun said.

 

Wonnie ran toward him, throwing his arms around his legs. “Daddy, I’m going to dance the seaweed dance for Uncle Nunu on his birthday!”

 

“You are?” Kihyun asked. “I’m sure he will love that. He loves your seaweed dance.”

 

Wonnie giggled and then disconnected himself from his legs. He ran into the kitchen, pulling on the fridge door. Kihyun sighed, walking into the kitchen. He opened the door and reached for a single juice box located toward the back. He handed the beverage to his eager son. While his son sipped at his drink, Kihyun unpacked the grocery and put away unneeded items.

 

They needed to make the cake first and then the other dishes. He knew his son would be hungry soon, he had to think about making dinner as well. Kihyun’s eyes drifted toward the clock on the wall. He hoped Minhyuk’s flight would land on time. It would be great to have some extra help.

 

“So, I finally thought of how to distract Hyunwoo tomorrow. It’s a Saturday and we usually head to the gym together. I was thinking we go to the gym at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.. If we leave at 10 a.m. I’ll be able to have Hyunwoo back here by noon, ” Wonho said.

 

Kihyun grabbed the flour and other ingredients from the cupboard. “Yeah? I guess that could work. Minhyuk and I will get things ready here while you both are out. But, I suggest you offer to give Hyunwoo a ride to the gym. It’ll help us out immensely. If we need you to stall, you’ll be able to do it.”

 

Wonho nodded. Kihyun continued to put away the groceries, a small smile on his face. It didn’t take long for Hyunwoo and Wonho to become close friends. They shared some of the same interests. They both had been on dance teams back in college and were interested in some of the same music. It hadn’t been a surprise at all when they started to hang out. Kihyun often tagged along on their adventures alongside his son.

 

Wonho nodded. “Good plan. I’ll pick Hyunwoo up around 10 a.m. and then we go to the gym and if you need me to stall I’ll just drive around in circles or something.”

 

Kihyun looked at him. “I’m sure Hyunwoo wouldn’t suspect anything.”

 

Wonho nodded. “Of course not. As long as no one said anything the surprise party should work.”

 

Kihyun grinned.

 

Wonho walked over to Wonnie, looking at him. “You kept our secret right, Wonnie?”

 

Wonnie’s eyes widened, tiny fingers curled around an empty juice box. “Yes, Uncle HoHo! I didn’t tell Uncle Nunu!”

 

Wonho chuckled, ruffling the little boy’s hair. “Yes, it’s a secret.”

 

“Yes, a secret,” Wonnie said, placing his finger over his lips. “Secret Secret.”

 

“Okay, time to make the cake,” Kihyun said, looking at his son. “You are going to help daddy bake a cake, right?”

 

“Cake!” Wonnie said, throwing his arms up in the air from excitement.

 

Kihyun was familiar with baking, so putting together a cake from scratch wouldn’t take terribly long. He gathered the cake ingredients and proceeded to prepare the batter. After a ‘flour’ incident, they were able to get the cake batter into two pans and the pans into the oven. While they waited, he brought out the ingredients for dinner. He didn’t have anything special planned just Kimchi fried rice, Wonnie’s favorite.

 

Kihyun looked at his son, smiling. Wonnie sat on the counter, spreading icing onto the bottom layer of a cake with a bright red spatula. An hour later, the doorbell rang. He turned from the stove and headed toward the door. He trusted his friend and son wouldn’t make too much of a mess. He threw open the door and greeted Minhyuk who pulled in his suitcase as he held a small oblong wrapped box in his left hand.

 

“Wow, if it isn’t Min, the busy actor who now holds a prestigious award,” Kihyun said.

 

“Thank you. Just so you know, I’ve won many awards.”

 

Kihyun chuckled.

 

Kihyun eyed the gift and looked to his friend. “We’ve got the gifts wrapped in my closet if you want to put yours there too.”

 

Minhyuk nodded, sniffing the air as he handed his gift to Kihyun. “Kimchi fried rice?”

 

“Yeah, we’ll sit down to eat soon,” he said. “Wonho and Wonnie are icing the cake in the kitchen.”

 

Minhyuk grinned, entering the kitchen.

 

“Uncle Minnie!”

 

Minhyuk lifted Wonnie from the counter and spun him in a half circle and brought him close to his chest. “How are you Wonnie? Did you miss me?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“I missed you as well.”

 

“ Oh! Uncle Minnie, Uncle Nunu’s birthday is tomorrow!”

 

Minhyuk laughed, holding Wonnie close. “Yes, it is. We’ll have so much fun. Wow, you did so well with the cake. Did you make it?”

 

Wonnie nodded. “I made the cake with daddy. Uncle Hoho ate some of the cake stuffs even though daddy said not to.”

 

Kihyun narrowed his eyes at Wonho who avoided his gaze. He turned his attention back to his sweet son, taking him from Minhyuk’s hold and placing him back on the ground. “How about you take Uncle Min to the guest room while Wonho and I finish the cake?”

 

Wonnie nodded, a determined look on his face. “Yes, daddy. Uncle Minnie, let’s go.”

 

He took a hold of Minhyuk’s sleeve, pulling on it. Minhyuk glanced a him, a small smile on his lips and then turned away. He followed Wonnie to the guest bedroom. Once they disappeared down the hall, Kihyun went to work placing the top layer of the cake onto the bottom and went through his cake decorating supplies to ice the cake. Soon the cake was finished and ready for the fridge.

 

“What next?” Wonho asked, glancing at him.

 

“Next, we work on some of the side dishes for tomorrow,” he said. “The more we do tonight the less we’ll have to do tomorrow.”

 

Wonho nodded, heading toward the fridge for the needed ingredients. He heard his giggling son and turned toward the hallway. Minhyuk emerged from the hall, his son balanced on his hip. Kihyun grinned. Soon all of them entered the kitchen. He sat Wonnie on the counter several inches away from the sink, awarding him the position of supervisor while they got back to cooking other dishes. After they finished, they sat down to some Kimchi Fried rice and shrimp. Towards the end of dinner his son’s head continued to nod up and down, as his jaw moved slowly.

 

“It’s time for someone’s bed time,” Minhyuk announced, pointing at Wonnie.

 

Kihyun agreed, lifting his son from his chair and into his arms. As he walked down the hall, he smiled. He was ready for the next day.

~~

 

At 7 a.m. in the morning Kihyun shut off his alarm clock. He threw his legs over the side of his bed, a yawn  escaping his lips. He reached for his sheets and proceeded to dress his bed. After heading to the bathroom, he walked into the hallway, ready to start breakfast. He began to pull out a few ingredients for a small breakfast, eyes lids still heavy with sleep.

His eyes drifted toward the living room and he sided at the mess. He would have to straighten the pillows, pick up toys, and other left behind items. The sound of shuffling feet caught his attention. He spotted Minhyuk walking down the hall holding his son’s little hand. Kihyun greeted his friend and planted a kiss on his son’s forehead.

 

“Ki, how early have you been up?” Minhyuk said, speaking through a yawn. “It’s almost 8 a.m..”

 

Kihyun looked at the clock, shocked by how much time had passed. “I woke up at 7 a.m.. Wonho will be taking Hyunwoo hyung to the gym around 10 a.m..”

 

“Usually, I  sleep in, but I didn’t want you doing everything by yourself.”

 

“Thank you Minhyuk, I appreciate it.”

 

They sat down at the table for breakfast. Kihyun looked at his sleepy son, grinning. Wonnie normally never woke up too early on Saturdays. But he guessed Minhyuk must have woken him up. He should have told his friend to let his son sleep longer, but he knew Wonnie would be upset if he missed out on all the festivities.

 

After breakfast, he stood in the middle of the living room look at Minhyuk and Wonnie. He smiled at the grin on his son’s face. There was so much to be done but he knew they could accomplish many things together. He glanced at his time and noticed the clock read 8:30 a.m.. He decided it would be best to get started on cooking.

 

“I’ll get started cooking,” Kihyun said, looking at Minhyuk. “You and Wonnie will work on cleaning up the living room and decorating. I have a box of things I’ve gathered and some of the stuff Wonho and I bought yesterday. It’s in my room.”

 

Minhyuk nodded firmly. “Right.”

 

Wonnie nodded. “Party time!”

 

“Not quite yet,” Kihyun said, amused. “But soon. Are you going to help daddy decorate, Wonnie?”

 

Wonnie nodded. “Yes!”

 

“Good boy,” he said.

 

Minhyuk stuck his hand out, eyes on Kihyun. Kihyun tilted his head to the side and then he realized what his friend wanted. He placed his hand over Minhyuk’s and then he spotted his son. They knelt on the ground and watched Wonnie place his tiny hand over their large ones.

 

“Alright, let’s get to work!” Kihyun said, throwing his right hand up in the air.

 

The other two followed, throwing their hands up in the air as well. Minhyuk and Wonnie disappeared down the hall. Kihyun’s cell phone buzzed and vibrated on the kitchen counter. He rushed toward the device and read over the message. Relief washed over him as he looked at the text from Wonho. His friend informed him that Shownu and him were still going to the gym. Everything was going as planned.

 

Kihyun put three pots filled with water on the stove and a single pan. He gathered the rest of the ingredients for a few more of Shownu’s favorite dishes. After cutting some vegetables, he added them to one of the pots and proceeded to continue with the other ingredients. He fiddled with the temperature knob on the stovetop, adjusting the heat. In the background, the loud laughter of his friend drifted into the kitchen. The tiny giggles of his son filled the atmosphere and his heart warmed.

 

“Wonnie, take it easy with the balloons okay, let Uncle Min blow most of them. How about you put up the decorations? I have these bright streamers you can tape to the table,” Minhyuk said.

 

“Okay.”

 

Kihyun chuckled. He would have liked the streamers taped on the walls, but he decided to let them make the decoration decisions. He pressed the light for the over, checking on the meat. The sound of Wonnie humming a song flowed into the kitchen just as Minhyuk walked by. He turned off the oven light and then looked at his friend. He wondered what Minhyuk needed from the fridge.

 

Minhyuk opened the fridge door and looked at him. “Is there anything you need me to do in the kitchen? The decorations are done and Wonnie is just throwing some of balloons around. I figured I would let him have his fun.”

 

“Right,” Kihyun said, looking around. “I have one more dish that requires cutting some more vegetables. I would have cut all the vegetables at once, but I’m a little exhausted.”

 

“That’s fine,” Minhyuk said. “Let me help. You are doing a lot already.”

 

Minhyuk grabbed a clean knife from the drawer and proceeded to cut up some vegetables and then  cut some fruits. Kihyun smiled and then turned off all the stovetops and oven. He looked back at his time, eyes wide. It was almost 11: 30 a.m., and the kitchen was a mess. He nibbled at his bottom lip, grabbing for his cell phone. He needed a distraction. He dialed up Wonho’s number, waiting for the other man to pick up.

 

“Hello, Wonho,” Kihyun said. “Oh? You were about to call me? What? Shownu decided to leave the gym earlier. He said he wanted to pick Wonnie and I up for a birthday lunch? Oh, okay, well I’m glad I called. I need a distraction, just maybe forty-five minutes to an hour. Yes, thanks.”

 

He hung up and turned to Minhyuk. “We have to clean like the wind and then get dressed. Apparently, Hyunwoo wants to pick Wonnie and I up for a birthday lunch, so I expect he’ll be calling me some time soon to tell me.”

 

“Is that going to ruin the surprise?” Minhyuk asked, wiping at a spot on the counter.

 

“No,” Kihyun said, picking up a pot and putting it in the sink. “It helps. It lets me know he still doesn’t know what is going on. Okay, let’s get back to work. Wonnie?”

 

His son entered the kitchen, tape surrounding his little fingers. Kihyun sighed, kneeling on the ground. He peeled the pieces of tape from his son’s hands. Wonnie should have never been left alone with the tape. He got to his feet, running his fingers through his son’s black locks.

 

“Alright, we have to clean and dressed up,” Kihyun said. “Why don’t you go pick up your toys in your room, Wonnie? And then you’ll take a bath.”

 

Wonnie frowned at the word bath but nodded, disappearing down the hall. Kihyun grabbed a sponge and dish washing soap and started to scrub the left- over food from pots and pans. He hummed, swaying from side to side. There was a song he heard on the radio that he couldn’t get out of his head. He wished he knew the name.

 

“I’m done over here Ki,” Minhyuk said, gesturing toward the other end of the kitchen. “Do you want me to get the presents out here?”

 

Kihyun nodded. “Yes, oh and we’ll set the cake out closer to time. I’ll tell Wonho to stop distracting Shownu.”

 

Kihyun sent a quick text to Wonho. It was fifteen minutes to twelve and he knew Hyunwoo would shower before stopping by. After they finished up in the kitchen, Kihyun went to his son to help him get ready and then he got in the shower himself. After, he did a once over of the living room and the kitchen and started to add leftover streamers in a few places. He spotted a bag of balloons left behind and decided to blow a few more. As he did, Minhyuk arranged the gifts on the coffee table.

 

Kihyun glanced at the clock and looked at his cellphone.  A message popped up on the screen from Hyunwoo. His older brother asked if Wonnie and him were available to go to lunch with him. He agreed said they would get ready quick and that he could make his way over. Hyunwoo replied with a ‘sure’ and Kihyun smiled. The doorbell rang, and he walked through the layer of colorful balloons and looked through the peephole. He opened the door and  Wonho walked in.

 

Wonho held a bright blue and red wrapped gift in his left hand while a plastic bakery bag hung from his right shoulder. “Hey, wow the place looks amazing!”

 

“I’ve been up since 8 a.m.,” Minhyuk said. “But that is nothing, Ki has been up since  7 a.m."

 

Wonho's widened and then he sniffed the air. "Wow, so many good smells. Hyunwoo is going to be so happy.”

 

“I hope so,” Kihyun said.

 

Wonho set down the plastic bag. “I stopped by that bakery Hyunwoo likes and picked up his favorite bread.”

 

“Bread!” Kihyun exclaimed. “I knew I forgot something. His favorite bread.”

 

“Ki, I’m sure Hyunwoo wouldn’t have noticed the bread considering you cooked all his favorites.”

 

“Okay, not all of his favorites,” Kihyun said. “I did have to take a few items off the menu, but mostly all of his favorites.”

 

Kihyun looked back at the time and then glanced around the room. “Okay, we are going to close the blinds and hide. Hyunwoo has a key, so he’ll let himself in. When he comes in we’ll jump out.”

 

Minhyuk and Wonho nodded, smiles on their faces. He looked at his son and grinned.

 

“Wonnie, when I say so, you are going to jump out a yell Surprise! Happy Birthday! But first we are going to find a hiding spot. How about the kitchen?”

 

Wonnie nodded. They closed the blinds and found hiding spots. As they waited, they tried to avoid laughing from some of Minhyuk’s funny stories. The door knob jiggled, and everyone stopped. In the distance the door opened. On his right Wonnie let out a little excited gasp. He grinned.

 

“Ki! Wonnie? Why are all the blinds closed? Oh, did I tell them to meet me there?”

 

Kihyun picked up his son, turned on the lights, and leapt from the ground. Wonho and Minhyuk followed seconds after. Shouts of ‘Surprise and Happy Birthday’ filled the living room. Hyunwoo’s eyes widened. Wonnie wiggled in his hold, so Kihyun let him down. His son ran toward his brother, shouting ‘Happy Birthday Uncle Nunu’. Hyunwoo caught his nephew in his arms, smiling.

 

“Thank you Wonnie,” he said, placing a kiss to the tiny forehead. “Wow, what is all this?”

 

“A surprise party,” Minhyuk said.

 

“Oh!”

 

“You look surprised,” Kihyun said, amusement in his voice.

 

Hyunwoo chuckled, getting to his feet, Wonnie in his arms. He looked toward the table, spotting the cake and grinned. His eyes drifted toward the gifts on the coffee table and his smiled grew wider. Kihyun walked over to his older brother, throwing his arms around him. He was happy to see the joy in his brother’s eyes. They headed toward the kitchen and took a seat while Kihyun and Minhyuk entered the kitchen. They brought several dishes to the table.

 

“Ki,” Hyunwoo said. “Did you make all of this?”

 

“Yes, I had some help,” he said. “What? Too much?”

 

Hyunwoo laughed, eyeing the different food. “These are all my favorites I’m—when did you have the time? I was going to take us out to lunch.”

 

“And you would have paid no doubt,” Kihyun said, shaking his head. “It’s your birthday hyung. I had to show you how much you mean to me. I love you.”

 

He smiled.

 

“Thank you. I love you too”

 

“Party Time now, daddy?” Wonnie asked.

 

“Sure, Wonnie, party time now. But let’s—”

 

Wonnie got up from his chair and rushed toward the living room and began to wiggle his little arms from side to side. Kihyun’s laughed, eyes watering from the sight of his son dancing the ‘seaweed’ dance as he promised. Hyunwoo laughed, getting to his feet. He grabbed a remote and turned on the tiny speaker located near the television stand. Loud, upbeat pop music flowed from the speakers.

 

“Uncle Nunu!” Wonnie shouted, waving his arms. “Seaweed dance!”

 

“I can see that,” Hyunwoo said. “You are such a good dancer, Wonnie.”

 

Wonnie giggled, and then ran toward his Uncle, throwing his tiny arms around his legs. “I love you, Uncle Nunu.”

 

Hyunwoo ran his fingers through Wonnie’s hair. “I love you too.”

 

Kihyun watched the scene unfold, warmth spreading throughout his chest. He turned his attention away and spotted Minhyuk and Wonho dancing along to the music. Hyunwoo and Wonnie started moving their arms and feet in quick motions. Kihyun wasn’t familiar with the dance. He laughed, walking towards them. He guessed they would eat much later. He began pumping his arms up and down and moving his head.

 

Woonie glanced at him, eyes sparkling. “Look, Uncle Nunu! Daddy is dancing like a chicken!”

 

“Yes, your dad is dancing like a chicken.”

 

“What?!” Kihyun said. “These are my best moves! I don’t dance like a chicken.”

 

“You are kind of dancing like a chicken,” Wonho said, arms crossed.

 

Kihyun rolled his eyes, walking back toward the table. “Well, maybe I’m saving the best dance for last. We should eat. I’m getting hungry.”

 

Hyunwoo nodded, picking Wonnie up from the ground. They sat down to eat, eager to dig into all the good food spread out on the table. Kihyun watched his friends and family, chat, and laugh as they enjoyed the food he made. He locked eyes with his brother and smiled. Hyunwoo deserved the world. Even after they moved out of their parents’ home his brother continued looking out for him. He picked up a single lamb skewer, pulling off a piece from the stick.

 

“Thank you, Kihyun.”

 

Kihyun looked at Hyunwoo and nodded. “You are welcome.”

 

After lunch, they opened presents and then continued to dance until they were too tired to move. The rest of the afternoon they spent time watching a kid’s movie on the television. Wonnie sat on his lap, resting his against his chest. He looked down at his son and noticed the peaceful expression on his son’s sleeping face. He guessed he wasn’t the only one tired.

As the movie continued to play on the screen, he smiled. The surprise had been a huge success. A yawn left his lips, exhaustion washing over him. Slowly his eyelids fell as the rich, warm sound of his brother’s laughter lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a birthday fic for Shownu. I wanted to have it up on his day but couldn't finish it time. 
> 
> I had so much fun writing this. Any kudos or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


End file.
